Segmental tube sheet



July 24, 1951l J. w. THRocKMoRToN ET AL 2,562,072

y SEGMENTAL TUBE SHEET Filed Dec. 15, 1.948 5 Sheets-Sheet l =""""""""""\$\n Z5 u 1 1 "./5 /5 l /2- '27 27 /2 /0 I l n Y" a t July 24,. 1951 J. w. THRocKMoRToN ETAL 2,562,072

SEGMENTAL TUBE SHEET 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 z/a 2/ ffy HH Il /A/l/E/VTORS. Jo/m M4 Wraak/0MM dok/7 .5. Wa//ffs 5%@ /lr New Filed Dec. l5, 1948 Jiuly Z4, l951` J. w. THRocKMoRToN ETAL 2,562,072

' SEGMENTAL TUBE SHEET l 1 i: if. a i; fff

1.,:1 inne INVENToRs.

Z-N w.' THRocKMoRToN ATTORNEY.

Patented July 24, y1951 SEGMENTAL TUBE SHEET John W. Throckmorton and John S. Wallis, New York, N. Y., assignors to Petro-Chem Process Company incorporated, New York, N. Y., a cor-A poration of Delaware Application December 15, 1948, Serial No. 65,474 y501mm. (o1. 122--51m This invention relates to tube sheets or other supports for furnaces and similar structures in 'which the tubes are arranged in circular or other formations such as elliptical, or rectangular with roundedA ends, and is an improvement on our Pate-nt No. 2,340,287, issued February 1, 1944.A Heretofore the tube supports have been special for each size of furnace, even when the tubes were of the same size. For example, a tube sheet for "80 tubes arranged in a circle of 8 feet in diameter was entirely unsuitable for use in a furnace 'of '150. tubes arranged in a circle of 12 'fie'et i in diameter..

A'ii b'j'ect of 'the inventionlis to 'provide 4'a tube sheet formed of segmental 'units so shaped as to .permit them to 'be built up into vcontinuous gas-l "tigh't "sheets or endless 'chains adapted 'to 'fur- 4riace's df different sizes and shapes. The seg- 4mental units may be carried in stock rand 'a greater `or, lesser yn'urrber of them used depend- Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail of @ne of the sgg.- ment plates Shown Fig- 1;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6..-.5 of

Fig. 5;

"i'n'g uponA 'the furnace size 'and the number of ttubes 'distributed 'about the combustion chamber. Our invention has the advantage of greatly *reducing the size 'and bulk 'of rthe "tube sheet parts 'land moreover makes it possible `to readily replace :tubes after lthe 4vstructure lha-s been -lin 'operation. fFor example, ;in icracking lfurnaces, 'tubes are sometimes burned ioutand vhave tobe 'replaced This can readily be d'one by freplacin'g ionl'y the tube sheet-segments which lcooperate 'iwiththe'damaged.tubes.

'lll-ie Stube sheet segments are Jsmall `and uni.- -forr`n, 'fand can be cast from afa 'single pattern f or 'from frelatively few pa`.tte'rns,fiand l large` quantities 'frnay be fcarried in jrstock lati'small :expense f-Eu/theri and otheriobjectsand :advantages will *De J'apparent from Lthe .speci'cation and lclaims, and from the: accompanying drawingswhi'ch illusv@trate \whatfis fnow'fconsideredthe preferred 2emibodimentfof the invention.

' :Inthe' drawings z i' JFig. v'1iis-an:elevational'View of :a :cylindrical flfunace-with. par-ts -in' section.I indicating location fofffthe segmentaltubersheets 4`Fig-f2 isfan^enlargedsection of .the upper-tubefvsheet-portion of the furnace shown in Fig. 1;

AFig-231s `an'enlarged section' of the. lower-tubeish'eet portion of-fthesame furnace;

f--Fig.f4 isf-air enlarged'. plan of ifaportion.. of the iupperJ-tube-sneetofthe furnace shown lin Fig.. 1

.50 ing segmentsl l ,-to; form-Slip- Fig. '7 is an enlarged plan .of a por-tion of the lower-tube-sheet of the furnace shown `in Fig. l

' Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail of the segment plates shown in Fig. '7;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view on 1-ine 9.-.9 of Fig. 8;

Fig.' l0 is a :modied form of `Segment plate for yuse in the lower tube sheets;

Fig. 11 is a sectional `view .on line lla-H of Fig. 10;;

Fig. .'12 is an illustration .of the invention ap.- plied to .a "large mult-ieburner furnace with straightsides and rounded ends; and

Fig. 13 lis :an illustration of the invention ap.- 'plied to a .large furnace .of .elliptical cross-sec;- tion. ferns :illustrated I in Fig. 1,1uponframe members |=0 is mounted za vcombustion chamber comprising :an inner wall l'l of 'nre brick, surrounded by .insulation i2, and za metallic shell I3. vBurners I4 furnish .heat to the ring of Vtubes t5 :near .the wall of thefcombustion .Chamber- Breeching t6 supports a stack l1. A-yertical plate :I 8 within the breeching supports an anglerring -l-S. -On shell i3 @at a height corresponding '.of .ring |9 l-is sa support ,ring 20, andthe upper v'ends L.of tubes L5 extend `between v-those irings.

erh@ cube sheet is :.macie tup y of a .chain :of :sesfments Vor 'plates 724| (Figs. Y5 and 16)4 supportedxby :rings A29 :and 4vr2.0. VEach :segment 22;! ,has .a body portion designed -;to -lie -.in apredeterminedplane rand is of essentially hexagonal shape in said inlane. iThe vtbody iportion inclndes two opposite pairs of adjacent shoulders 2 Ib .-and2 lg.

:A frst pair of adjacent extension 4`,wing-:stime- :tures .Zla projects from :the pair :of adjacent l'hexagonal -zshoulders Ib :and thas ra fa-ce that ais parallel to :said :plane. .1A second gpair of adjacent extension wing structuresyz 4Ih projects-from .-.the `pair @of iadjacent 'hexagzonal @shoulders 2 Ig .(-which is `opposite -the .pair of -lshoulders V:.2 Il?) 'andl has aifacethatis paralleltosa-id plane. The :wing structures .2 la and 2 lh of each lsegment 2| are respectively adaptedto., over-lap. andunderlap the wing structures Zlhfandgzla 4onadjyoinintsbetween 'the rest in depressions 23e in the segments. design has wing members 28a, shoulders 28h, ribs segments. The wing structures 2id and Zlh are substantially half the plate thickness.

Each of the wing structures Ela and 21h has outer edges 2le and Zlf, respectively. The two edges 2|e are contoured to define a reentrant angle which has its apex close to the apex of the angle formed by the shoulders 2lb, and which is larger than the last mentioned angle. Similarly, the two edges 2lf are contoured to denne a reentrant angle which has its apex close to the apex of the angle formed by the shoulders 21g, and which is larger than the last 'mentioned angle.

Each of two semicircular recesses is perpendicular to the plane of the segment 2|. One recess intersects the edges 2 le of the wingstructure Zia, and the other recess intersects the edges 2 I j of the wing structure 2 Ih. Each recess extends partially into the body portion,Y so that the apices of the angles dened by the shoulders 2lb and the edges Zie lie within one recess, and the angles dened by the shoulders 2 I g and the edges 2|f lie within the other recess. Each recess is adapted for cooperation with a like recess" in an adjoining segment, to lt around a tube when the adjoining segments are abutted together with their adjacent pairs of wing structures dovetailed.

Wings 2 I a and 21h and shoulders 2 lb and Zlg are so shaped as to permit angular plate adjustment according to the tube circle diameter, while the webs or wings provide a complete overlapping closure, also independent of tube circle diameter. Each segment is stifened by a rib 2Ic. Notches 2 ld in the edges of the segments accommodate bolts 22 which hold the plates in their adjusted positions on rings I9 and 20.

At the bottom of the combustion chamber, outside the tubes, is a ring 23 (Fig. 3), while within the tube circle is a cooperating ring 2li welded at 25 to the fire pot frame. Rings 23 and 24 support segmental plates 26 (Figs. 8 and 9). These plates have openings to accommodate the lower circular bosses 21a of return-bends 2l. Plates 28 have wing members 26a corresponding to the wings Zia of plates 2|. v Annular shoulders 2Gb likewise correspond to shoulders 2lb of plates 2l'. Plates 26 have two stiffening ribs 28o. Notches 26d accommodate anchor bolts 22.

In place of segment plates 26 serving as a bottom tube sheet, there may be used a modified type of segment shown at v28 in Figs. l0 and 11. In this design the lower return-bend ttings 27 This 28e and bolt-receiving notches 23d. Apertures in depression 28e accommodate the plugs inthe bottom of the return-bend ttings. yWhere an inlet and outlet connection is made at the bottom of the tube bank, a segmental plate such as that 'shown at 29 in Fig. '7 is used. This plate has two apertures for tubes, one on veach side of reinforcing rib 29e.

Figs. 12 and 13 illustrate the use of the above described segment plates 2| in large furnaces inA which burners are indicated at 30 and the wall curvature varies through a wide range from short arcs to straight sides. f

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments herein illustrated and described, but may be used in other ways without departure from its spirit as dened by the following claims.

, What is claimed is:

1. A tube sheet for supporting a curved bank of parallel tubes in predetermined spaced relation, comprising a chain of successively abutting segments, said chain lying in a predetermined plane, each segment comprising a body having an essentially hexagonal shape in said plane, and haring two opposite pairs of adjacent hexagonal shoulders respectively disposed to constitute its ends adjacent the next segments, and the said shoulders of each end dening an angle pointing toward the corresponding adjacent segment, and winU extension structures integrally projecting v'from the said ends of the body and having faces parallel to said predetermined plane and overlapping in ilatwise abutment the faces of corresponding complementarily disposed extension structures of the adjacent segments, each pair of adjacent wing extension structures defining at its end a reentrant angle which is larger than the angle formed by the hexagonal shoulders of the adjacent body, so as to receive said last menticned shoulders within said reentrant angle while permittingangular adjustment of the adjacent segments relative to each other, and each segment being apertured for tube support so that holes disposed centrally of the body and each dimensioned to receive a tube, said holes lying ina path extending between the midpoints of rthe ends of the body.

4. vA tube sheet as described in claim l wherein each segment is apertured by a hole disposed `centrally vof the body and dimensioned to receive atube.

5. Alsegment for a tube sheet'to be composed of a chain of such segments in successively abutting relation, comprising a body portion designed to lie in a predetermined plane and having an essentially hexagonal shape in said plane, a pair or" adjacent extension wing structures projecting from one pair of adjacent hexagonal shoulders and having a face that is parallel to said plane and is adapted to overlap the corresponding face of an adjoining segment in the chain, a second pair of adjacent wing structures projecting from the pair of adjacent hexagonal shoulders which is opposite the rst mentioned pair of shoulders, said second pair of wing struc- -tureshaving a face parallel to said plane and similarly adapted to underlap a corresponding face of an adjoining segment, each of said pairs of wing structures having outer edges contoured to'dene a reentrant angle which has its apex close to the apex of the angle formed by the adjacent pair of hexagonal shoulders on the same end of the body portion and which is larger than said last mentioned angle, two essentially semi-circular recesses perpendicular to said plane and intersecting respectively the outer edges of each pair of wing structures and extending partially into the body portion so that the apices of both said Vangles lie within one recess, and each recess being adapted for cooperation with a like recess in an adjoining segment, to fit around a .tube Whenthe adjoining segments are abutted 5 together with their adjacent pairs of wing structures dovetailed.

JOHN W. THROCKMORTON. J OI-IN S. WALLIS.

REFERENCES CITED 5 The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS lo Number Name Date 377,001 Worthington Jan. 24, 1888 1,333,652 Connelly Mar. 16, 1920 1,557,874 Prentice Oct. 20, 1925 1,597,914 MacDoWell Aug. 31, 1926 15 1,674,080 Woerner June 19, 1928 'Number Number 6 Name Date De Florez June 11, 1929 De Florez May 5, 1931 De Florez June 2, 1931 De Florez June 14, 1932 De Florez Jan. 29, 1935 De Florez June 2, 1936 De Florez: Mar. 23, 1937 De Florez Mar. 21, 1939 Wallis et al Oct. 26, 1943 Throckmorton et al. Feb. 1, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany Dec. 11, 1926 

